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Massive green-roofed home in Brazil features a series of ramps

São Paulo-based Una Arquitetos has completed a massive home in the municipality of Cotia that unites its various volumes beneath a lushly planted green roof. Named the House in Cotia, the modern home is set on a 2,600-square-meter property near the woods and takes advantage of its private setting with glass curtain walls throughout. The home is built predominately of concrete, metal and glass, yet the interiors are fitted with natural materials for a sense of warmth.

Set on a challenging slope, the home covers an area of 730 square meters split into three volumes and four floors that are navigated with a series of stairs and ramps. Parts of the home are elevated on concrete pillars while others are embedded into the ground. Indoor-outdoor living is celebrated throughout the home. For starters, the 45-meter-long green roof is fully accessible. Moreover, the architects also designed several outdoor courtyards that enjoy seamless transitions to the interior with large sliding glass doors and wine-red floor tiles used in both the interior and exterior.

“The construction, in section, accommodates smoothly to the geography of São Paulo’s sloped grounds. Four levels built from three parallel walls organize the landscape,” note the architects. “The development, in plan, allows an integration between interior and exterior spaces, which alternate and fold being complemented with water, fire and vegetation. In addition to the green roof and lush surroundings, the firm also added an outdoor fire pit and two main water features: a swimming pool and a river-like channel that snakes through the property.

The home is entered from the lowest level in a shaded area beneath the elevated volume housing the bedrooms. That volume is accessible via a ramped corridor that connects to the open-plan living area, dining area and kitchen. The home also offers a music room and a lounge.